47 m. ago Malaysia seeks urgent trade talks with US after 25% tariff blow

Malaysia will press ahead with talks towards a “comprehensive” trade agreement with the United States, its trade ministry has said, as Kuala Lumpur races to soften the blow of a newly imposed 25 per cent tariff on its exports unveiled by US President Donald Trump. On Monday, Trump revealed he had sent letters to leaders of 14 countries announcing tariffs ranging from 25 to 40 per cent, in an apparent gambit to accelerate trade negotiations. The new 25 per cent tariff on Malaysian goods is one...

Politics

1 hour ago Eric Trump to headline Bitcoin Asia 2025 conference in Hong Kong

Eric Trump, the second-born son of US President Donald Trump, will attend next month’s Bitcoin Asia 2025 conference in Hong Kong as a headline speaker, as the city strives to position itself as a leading hub for digital assets, competing with the US. Trump would discuss bitcoin’s “long-term potential” and its impact on global finance, as well as “how Asia is shaping the future of bitcoin adoption,” said BTC Inc, the conference organiser, on Tuesday. Bitcoin Asia, the regional edition of the...

Politics

1 hour ago Thai PM’s suspension reignites debate, Malaysia’s new tax: 7 Asia highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Malaysia’s new ‘luxury’ taxes hit the middle class where it hurts 2. PM’s suspension reignites debate on ‘judicial activism’ of Thailand’s courts 3. Philippines’ Duterte ends womanising era, leaving ‘13 to 27’ lovers behind 4. Chinese ambassador’s ‘grandstanding’...

Economics

2 h. ago Malaysian girl recalls father’s message before bodies found in submerged car

The sole surviving member of a family of seven who drowned when their car plunged into a river in Kedah last week has recalled seeing her father in a dream, telling her not to be sad, in a tragedy that has gripped Malaysia. Putri Qisya Nur Izzat, 12, had stayed behind at her grandmother’s house on the day of the accident. She recounted on Monday dreaming of her father, 32-year-old Mohamad Azim Izat Ishak, who told her he could only watch over her from afar. “Dad said, don’t be sad or I won’t be...

Events

2 h. ago Will Myanmar block East Timor’s Asean entry? The junta draws a red line

As East Timor edges closer to joining Asean, Myanmar’s military rulers are seeking to block its entry, in a warning to it – and governments everywhere – against engaging with the war-torn country’s opposition forces. Last week, sources cited by public broadcaster Thai PBS revealed that Myanmar’s military regime had formally notified Malaysia, the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of its intent to withhold support for East Timor’s membership when the bloc convenes in...

Politics

2 h. ago Hong Kong’s Metropol Restaurant, with dim sum trolleys, will close in September

A Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong known for serving dim sum from traditional trolleys will close down at the end of September after being in business for 35 years, joining a slew of eateries that have folded in the city in recent months. A staff member of Metropol Restaurant, located at United Centre in Admiralty, told the Post that the establishment would operate until September 27, but did not offer a reason for the decision to shut down. The restaurant opened in 1990 and is one of three...

Politics

3 h. ago Status, culture, cost: more Chinese students choosing Singapore as US declines

Miya Zheng once aimed to earn a master’s degree when she first arrived in the United States for her undergraduate studies. But now, three years later, the Chinese national has shifted her sights halfway across the world – to Singapore. “After staying here for some time, I realised that this isn’t quite the right place for me in the long run,” said Zheng, who is majoring in economics and statistics in the US and aspires to work outside China after graduating. She has faced increasing hurdles as...

Politics

6 h. ago With US tariffs looming, China’s panda diplomacy returns as Japan seeks new loan

Panda diplomacy is back in play as Japan seeks to charm visiting Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng with hopes of securing one or two of the endangered bears on loan. The gesture could help soothe bilateral ties and signal regional unity amid growing unease over US trade policy under President Donald Trump, analysts have said. He, a close adviser to President Xi Jinping, is scheduled to attend the World Expo in Osaka for “national pavilion day” at the Chinese pavilion on Friday. The Yomiuri...

Politics

6 h. ago Death threats and harassment: Hong Kong couple’s ordeal with loan sharks

When his health supplement business struggled with cash-flow problems, Bobby Tan* turned to a so-called professional networking group in Hong Kong for help, borrowing HK$300,000 (US$38,220) from a licensed small lender in April last year. Over the next 10 months, the Hong Kong permanent resident from Southeast Asia continued to take on more debt, borrowing from 30 different licensed moneylenders for a total of HK$5.05 million. Each lender charged him an illicit upfront “commission” of 15 to 30...

Events

7 h. ago Apparently impatient Trump slaps 25% tariffs on Japan, South Korea

US President Donald Trump, apparently impatient with the slow progress of negotiations, on Monday slapped 25 per cent unilateral tariffs on Japan and South Korea and equal or higher import taxes on several other nations ahead of a self-imposed Wednesday deadline. Analysts said the move shows that the mercurial American leader is using threats to jump-start negotiations. Trump sent two-page letters to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung saying the new...

Politics

9 h. ago China Reroutes Exports Through Southeast Asia to Evade Trump Tariffs

China Reroutes Exports Through Southeast Asia to Evade Trump Tariffs  AgWeb

Politics

18 h. ago Eating plastic: the hidden cost of convenience in Southeast Asia

More people in Southeast Asian countries could face health risks ranging from liver damage to poor brain development due to rising consumption of microplastics in their food, medical and regulatory experts have warned. Microplastics are formed when larger plastic items break down. As more animals, such as fish, eat microplastics due to plastic pollution, the near-invisible particles measuring less than 5mm (0.19 inch) can go up the food chain. “If the microplastics are absorbed by fish and then...

Politics

22 h. ago Trump’s Vietnam tariff pact challenges Asean unity in key summit

Southeast Asian nations are scrambling to recalibrate their approach to US tariffs ahead of a key diplomatic gathering that starts in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, as Washington’s preference for one-on-one trade deals casts doubt over Asean’s collective bargaining power. US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced a delay to the next round of his sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs – pushing the deadline from July 9 to August 1 – to give time for finalising deals with 18 major trade partners,...

Politics

22 h. ago Marriages of inconvenience: the remote Indian village cut off from love

In the heart of southern India, where dense forests eclipse the sun, the villagers of Jondalgatti have not celebrated a wedding in more than a decade. The culprit, villagers say, is not tradition or fate, but the simple absence of a road. Home to around 200 people, the tiny village in Karnataka state is now a place where eligible bachelors linger in limbo. Twenty young men, all of marrying age, have spent years searching for partners willing to brave the village’s isolation. “Some youths have...

Politics

23 h. ago California Cherry Season Down and U.S. China Tensions Cost Exports

California Cherry Season Down and U.S. China Tensions Cost Exports  AG INFORMATION NETWORK OF THE WEST

Events

25 h. ago Malaysia’s judicial crisis: Anwar’s party members want him to ‘clear the air’

Senior Malaysian lawmakers are calling for both a royal inquiry and a parliamentary investigation into Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim over alleged irregularities in judicial appointments, warning that such actions risk plunging the country’s judiciary into scandal once again. Last week, Anwar’s administration declined to extend the tenure of widely respected chief justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat and Court of Appeal president Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim. This leaves the future leadership of the...

Events

25 h. ago Trump’s Chinese drone issue, Viagra’s potential against cancer: 5 weekend reads

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump wants to ground China’s drones – but have they flown too high to reach? 2. New Communist Party rules hint Xi Jinping is delegating more power to deputies 3. Why Singapore refused to be a ‘Third China’ – and how Lee Kuan Yew made it clear 4. Chinese study uncovers cancer-fighting potential...

Politics

27 h. ago Malaysian police hunt Pakistani man accused of child sex abuse

Malaysian police are on the hunt for a foreign man accused of sexually assaulting three boys and a teenager over the past three months in suburbs just outside the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. The crimes were allegedly carried out in two adjacent neighbourhoods in the city of Shah Alam, a predominantly Malay-Muslim enclave about 30km (19 miles) from the capital. Police believe the suspect, whose last known address was a flat in the city, is still in the country. “To date, the number of victims...

Events

30 h. ago Fake it ‘til you make it? Inside Southeast Asia’s booming counterfeit economy

Persistence is the lifeblood of the counterfeit trade – an attribute Rahul* has in spades. On the bustling, neon-lit streets of Bangkok, the thirty-something from India hawks imitation Rolex watches with a practised ease. “This is nearly as good as the real one,” he says, grinning, before melting into the crowd, a bag of replica Swiss timepieces slung over his shoulder. His trade is illegal, yet it flourishes out in the open – a mere ripple in Southeast Asia’s ocean of counterfeit goods. Now,...

Politics

30 h. ago FWD Group shares start trading unchanged in Hong Kong market

FWD Group made a flat trading debut in the Hong Kong stock market, as the insurer’s four-year listing journey from New York back to its hometown failed to resonate with investors, even as it built an Asia-wide group across 10 markets. Trading under the stock code 1828, FWD’s shares began trading at HK$38.00, unchanged from its offered price during its initial public offering (IPO), which raised HK$3.47 billion (US$442 million) last week. The IPO of the insurer founded by Hong Kong billionaire...

Politics